Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview

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I love music in a number of different genres, including contemporary Christian music, Christian hip-hop/rap, worship and classic rock. Here are 8 new and upcoming albums that I’m excited about.

A Great Adventure – Steven Curtis Chapman
The latest project from Steven Curtis Chapman, arriving less than two months after his Deeper Roots: Where the Bluegrass Grows album, comes in both a DVD and audio recording format, filmed and recorded at the Gaither Studios in Alexandria, Indiana. The album chronicles Chapman’s life in song through live solo acoustic performances of some of his most popular songs, but no between song comments. Chapman has toured extensively performing solo concerts the past few years, and is very comfortable performing his songs backed only with his acoustic guitar. Listening to these songs, originally released between 1987 and 2018, reminds the listener of the blessing his music has been for more than thirty years now. Continue reading →

As I’ve done for a number of years, I wanted to share with you my favorites from 2018 in a variety of categories: movies, music, books, etc. Except for books, these are all items that were released or took place in 2018. For books, I include my favorite books that I read during 2018, regardless of when the book was published. Enjoy! Please let me know what you think of my list, and also share some of your favorites.Continue reading →

This four-song EP will be released on July 13. The band has already released three of the songs – “Bridges Burn”, “Darling” and “Bullets”.

Noble Ape – Jim Gaffigan
This album will be released on July 13. The film will be available on that date in select cities. I’m looking forward to this release as I saw a concert on this tour that this album was recorded on.
From the artist’s website: “In his all new Noble Ape stand up special, Jim Gaffigan gets personal as he discusses the medical crisis that befell his wife and family this year, which almost led to his retirement”.

My New Moon – Amos Lee
This album will be released August 31. It is Lee’s follow-up to 2016’s Spirit.
From the Amazon description: “Singer/songwriter Amos Lee says his seventh studio album My New Moon is “a dedication…it’s an offering – an altar of sorts to those who have shared their sorrows with me.” It is a product of profound human experiences; loss, grief, hope, healing, love, sorrow, and rejuvenation. Each track on My New Moon takes a journey through these intense and personal experiences. Opening track “No More Darkness, No More Light” was rewritten entirely after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and speaks to the hope for change that lies in amongst tragic situations and challenges. “Little Light,” written for a young girl who beat cancer, is a positive message of spreading light for the world to see, even if you’re facing hardship. “Hang On, Hang On” reflects the helplessness that comes after the loss of a loved one, “Crooked” brings to light the difficult and confusing times we’ve faced throughout history in America, and “I Get Weak” is a beautifully dark love song to something that might kill you, but you need it to go on living. The album as a whole reflects the darkness and the light that we all both experience and bring into the world, and how through these personal experiences and hard times, we grow more connected to one another.” Continue reading →

It’s hard to believe that we are at mid-year already. As I have in the past, I wanted to share with you my favorites from the first half of 2018 in a variety of categories. Except for books, these are all items that were released or took place in 2018. For books, I include my favorite books that I’ve read thus far during 2018. Enjoy! Please let me know what you think of my list, and also share some of your favorites.

Movies

Best: Tie ~ Black Panther and Paddington 2

Other movies I’ve enjoyed, in no particular order, were:

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Incredibles 2

Peter Rabbit

Calvinist

The Post

I Can Only Imagine

Avengers: Infinity War

Isle of Dogs

Ready Player One

Ant-Man and The Wasp

Worst: Below are the worst, or at least the most disappointing, films I’ve seen, in no particular order:

Top Songs

Take Me to the Water/Cool Down by the Banks of Jordan – Ashley Cleveland

I Can’t Lose – Lecrae and Zaytoven

Everyday I Have the Blues – Van Morrison and Joey DeFrancesco

The Holy Grail – John Fogerty

Bridges Burn by NEEDTOBREATHE

Better Than I Used to Be by Mat Kearney

Don’t Know by Paul McCartney

Books

Best: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row – Anthony Ray Hinton

Other books I’ve enjoyed, in no particular order, were:

Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 – John Maxwell

Servant Leadership in Action – Edited by Ken Blanchard

The Gospel According to God – John MacArthur

The Gospel Comes with a House Key – Rosaria Butterfield

How to be a Perfect Christian – Babylon Bee

How to Get Unstuck – Matt Perman

Take Heart: Christian Courage in the Age of Unbelief – Matt Chandler

Immanuel Labor: God’s Presence in Our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work – Russell E. Gehrlein

The Gospel at Work: How the Gospel Gives New Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs(Updated and Expanded Edition) – Greg Gilbert and Sebastian Traeger

Paul Simon: The Life – Robert Hilburn

Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? Larry Norman and the Perils of Christian Rock – Gregory Alan Thornbury

Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization – John Wooden and Steve Jamison

Blogs

Best: Tim Challies’ Ala Carte. This is required reading for me each Monday through Saturday. Challies includes helpful Kindle deals, links to a good variety of helpful articles and a quote. Check out Tim’s website here.

Honorable mention goes to the third season of Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent podcast Revisionist History. On each episode, Gladwell goes back and reinterprets something from the past: an event, a person, an idea. Something overlooked. Something misunderstood.

As I have for the past several years, I want to share with you some of my favorites from 2016 in a variety of categories. These are all items that were released or took place in 2016 except for books; I include my favorite books of the 62 that I’ve actually read during 2016. My top 20 books include three each by Sinclair Ferguson and Tim Keller and two by Bryan Chapell. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of my list and share some of your favorites.

Here are the rest of my top 10 favorite songs, listed in order, along with one bonus song from Trip Lee:

Running Out of Time – Amos Lee

My Victory – Crowder

Jumped Out the Whip – Tedashii

Float – Switchfoot

My Worth Is Not In Not In What I Own – Keith and Kristyn Getty with Fernando Ortega

Testify – NEEDTOBREATHE

Children Go Where I Send Thee – Neil Diamond with the Blind Boys of Alabama

I’m Good – Tedashii

I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine – Eric Clapton

Bonus song: Clouds – Trip Lee

Favorite Artist of the Year: Obviously Chris Tomlin is my top artist for the year. He has my top album – Never Lose Sight – and song “Yes and Amen” and his song “Good Good Father”, though released in October, 2015, still topped 2016’s Billboard’s Christian Digital Songs chart.

As we have the mid-year point, I want to share with you some of my favorites from 2016 in a variety of categories. Except for books, these are all items that were released or took place in 2016. For books, I include my favorite books that I’ve actually read during 2016. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think by clicking on the ‘Comment’ link above.

MUSIC: I enjoy music in a variety of genres. My favorites were:

Albums

Top Pick: Church Clothes 3 – Lecrae

Other albums that I’ve enjoyed have been:

Wow to the Deadness (EP) – Steve Taylor and the Danielson Foil

Fallen Angels – Bob Dylan

Stranger to Stranger – Paul Simon

Hymns II – Michael W. Smith

Salvation’s Tide is Rising – Passion

Love Riot – Newsboys

Worship and Believe – Steven Curtis Chapman

This Time Around (EP) – Tedashjii

Facing a Task Unfinished – Keith and Kristyn Getty

I’m really looking forward to two July releases – Where the Light Shines Through by Switchfoot and Hard Love by NEEDTOBREATHE .

Songs

Top pick: Jumped Out the Whip – Tedashii

Other songs I’ve enjoyed have been:

Float – Switchfoot

My Worth Is Not In Not In What I Own – Keith and Kristyn Getty with Fernando Ortega

Like this:

As we approach mid-year, I wanted to take a quick look back and share some of my favorite music, books, movies and a new podcast.

Music

I enjoy music in a variety of genres. As a result, you will see in my 2015 favorites thus far music in such diverse genres as hip-hop/rap to sacred music. My favorites thus far, in order are:

Albums:

Saints and Sinners – Matt Maher

Before This World – James Taylor

Glory to the Holy One: Sacred Music for the People of God – Jeff Lippencott and R.C. Sproul

Shadows in the Night – Bob Dylan

Tomorrow We Live – KB

Lead Us Back: Songs of Worship – Third Day

Duets: Reworking the Catalogue – Van Morrison

Live from Red Rocks – Amos Lee

Live from the Woods – NEEDTOBREATHE

The Wonderlands: Sunlight (EP) – Jon Foreman

Passion: Even So Come – Various Artists

Albums that I’m aware of being released later this year that I’m looking forward to are:

Unbroken Praise – Matt Redman (June 16)

The Wonderlands: Shadows (EP) – Jon Foreman (July 17)

This is Not a Test – Toby Mac (August 7)

Songs:

Top choice is “Abide with Me” written and performed by Matt Maher. Matt Redman has also covered the song on his new live worship album Unbroken Praise. Other songs I’ve enjoyed thus far this year, in no particular order are:

Soul on Fire – Third Day

Sideways – KB (featuring Lecrae)

Wonder – Crowder

Even So Come – Chris Tomlin

Clothed in Righteousness – Jeff Lippencott and R.C. Sproul

That Lucky Old Sun – Bob Dylan

Watchin’ Over Me –James Taylor

Sweet Pea (live version) – Amos Lee

Books

In this category, while many of the books will have been released in 2015, I list those books I have actually read in 2015. My favorites thus far, in order are:

Reformation Study Bible (revised and updated edition)

Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression – Zack Eswine

A Loving Life: In a World of Broken Relationships – Paul Miller

Counter Culture: A Compassionate Call to Counter Culture in a World of Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Abortion, Persecution, Orphans and Pornography- David Platt

Rising to the Call: Discover the Ultimate Purpose of Your Life – Os Guinness

John Knox: Fearless Faith – Steven Lawson

Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work – Tom Nelson

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert – Rosaria Butterfield

The Next Story: Faith, Friends, Family, and the Digital World (revised and updated edition) – Tim Challies

Rise: Get Up and Live in God’s Great Story – Trip Lee

The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do – Jeff Goins

Molina: The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty – Bengie Molina